Improvement in boots and shoes



fivrlED STATES' PATENT rrrcn.

IMPRovEMENT IN Boot-rs AND sects.

Specicaiicn forming part of Letters Patent No. 162,923, dated May 4,1875; application led April 2, w75.

To all whom it may concern Beit known that I, CHARLES F. HILL, ofBaltimore city, State of I\Iaryland, have invented a new and usefulImprovement in Boots and Shoes; and I do hereby declare that thefollowing is at'nll, clear, and exact description ot' the sanne,reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of thisspecitication, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a shoeconstructed according to my improved method, with a portion broken awayto show said con-V struction. Fig. 2 are perspectives ot' the mold edtap-soles. Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the dies, with the sole inposition between the same to be molded; Fig. 4, plan view of one ot' thedies; Fig. 5, inverted plan of the other Fig. 6, modificationv oftap-sole.

This invention relates to certain improve ments in boots and shoes; andit consists in the combination, with the insole, the outsole, and theupper, of a tap-sole indented at the toe, so as to leave a raised edgeto protect the upper.

In the drawing, A represents a shoe constructed according to my improvedmethod, in which B is the upper, C the insole, and I) the outsole. Thetap-sole E, instead ot' being made plain and smooth, as usual, isindented at the toe with a depression, a, which leaves a raised edge, b,around the said toe, which, extending upward over the lower part of theupper, receives the wear, and protects the said upper.

In manufacturing my indented tap-soles the leather is firstsoaked inwater, and placed be tween suitable dies, as shown in Fig. 3. Asufficient amount of power is then applied to produce the indentationand make it perma-v nent, and, as soon as dry el'iough, the interiorbulge c upon the bottom of the toe part of the sole is trimmed oit', soas to leave a smooth outer surface for the outsole.

In' manufacturing my tap-soles I may make them to extend to the shank,as shown in Fig. 6, for heavy soles; or I may arrange them for the toealone, as shown in Fig. 2, when alight summer shoe is desired.

I am aware ofthe fact that welts have been attached to the outer edge ofthe sole, upon the same plane with the insole, and sewed to the latter,and also to the upper, and that the said welts are intended to protectthe upper. I therefore disclaim such welt, which is expensive, andrequires much stitching, and conine myself to a shoe constructed withthe tapsole orv toe-piece in one piece, and indented as described, so asto leave a protecting-edge for the upper.

By means of my improved method shoes can be more rapidly andeconomically manufactured, and a better article produced, for the reasonthat the indented sole is in one piece, the top side ot' the depressionpresents a smooth surface, and there is no seam between the raised edgeand the body ot' the sole.

Having thus described my invention, what 'I claim as new is- 1. Ina bootor shoe, the combination, with the upper, the insole, and the outsole,ota tapsole depressed without break or incision upon the upper surface,and trimmed upon the lower, so as leave a raised'protecting-edge for thevamp, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. As a new article of manufacture, a tapsole depressed without break orincision upon the upper surface, and trimmed upon the lower, so as toleave a raised edge at the toe, substantially as and for the purposedescribed.

CHARLES F. HILL.

Witnesses O. GEO. BEAVER, WM.' DREDRIDGE.

